There is another new kid on the block, another new shopping mall has sprung up in Batam. It is called the Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall or some refer to it as the Nagoya Hill SuperBlock. No, the mall is not located on top of a treacherous hill, so there are no hill or steep slopes to climb to reach this mall. The mall is located in the center of Nagoya town and very near to Nagoya Plaza Hotel.

The mall is low rise one, with rows of shop houses opposite the main mall itself. The design of the row of shophouses is unique – I particularly like the roof. I was there during the Sunday afternoon, and there were many local people at the mall. There are 2 anchor tenants – Matahari and Hypermart. These are 2 giant retail stores in Indonesia. So when the stores are there, the shoppers will come. Hypermart is located at the basement of this mall. Normally I liked to buy food items from Hypermart, because it is cheap and fresh. The store sells everything from food, clothes, medicine to LCD TV and PC. I like the bakery counter because they offer a wide variety of bread and cakes.

There is a Food Street in the Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall itself. If you are entering the mall via its main entrance, the Food Street is on the left and right. Yes, both the left and right corridor of the mall. There are many food outlets. You can see A&W, KFC and many local food retail outlets. When I see so many food outlets to choose, I have a hard time choosing what to eat. I have to make a choice among so many choices. If you do not fancy the food at the Food Street, there are more food outlets spread across this mall. Just walk and browse, you will find them. I just wonder whether is food such a lucrative business that I see so many of them in the mall.

In the mall, I can see a number of retail stores selling clothing and accessories. I guess young people in Indonesia are also spending more to look good. Perhaps the reason why developers are building more malls is that people love to hang out in the malls rather than in a park or library. Though Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall is relatively new, the layout of the stores can be improved. I can see merchandise being stacked along the walkways, which makes it untidy and at times difficult to walk. After shopping, with a lots of shopping bags, you can get a cab/taxi just outside the mall itself. Remember to negotiate the taxi fare before commencing the ride.

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